And finally, he was able to talk about his birdies – all five of them – instead of jabs at Olympic golf that caused such a stir earlier in the week.
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Day toiled his way to a two-over 73. “I don’t know how that ball missed because it was flawless speed in the center with a foot to go”.
Flawless weather made for ideal scoring conditions on Thursday, and a good portion of the field took advantage.
“I had a chance to do something historical”.
Dustin Johnson played in the easiest conditions and shot 71. Despite having won so much (42 PGA events), he remains somehow in the hearts of many golf fans the loveable loser, the guy who had the misfortune to come along just before a Tiger began to prowl through the world of golf for a decade, the same decade that otherwise would have been his.
There are putts to win golf tournaments, putts to win major championships.
Reed holed out his second shot from the fairway at Royal Troon’s No. 3 and made five birdies and two bogeys in opening with a five-under-par 66 on Thursday.
“If I would’ve stepped on the first tee and someone would have given me a 69 I probably would have taken it but if somebody had given me that score on the 10th I probably wouldn’t have”, McIlroy told reporters after a calm day on the Ayrshire coast.
“If I keep putting myself in position and knocking on the door I hope I get a couple of good breaks at the right times”.
The real test could be Friday with rain in the forecast. Rory McIlroy, the four-time major champion from Northern Ireland, is among a group that shot 69.
REUTERS/Craig Brough Phil Mickelson plays a shot on the 12th hole during the second round. We had some practice rounds and some tough conditions, so it’s not like it’s that foreign.
Facing an uphill struggle: Jason Day. He opened with a 76 at Oakmont and had to play well just to make the cut.
Jordan Spieth’s task to tame Royal Troon?
For the third straight time, he has to spend the rest of the week catching up.
French golfer Clement Sordet, who teed off in the first three-ball of the day, had the words “pray for Nice” emblazoned on his cap which also carried a black ribbon. “I knew that was where the majority of the scores were going to come from. If I can hit a little bit better tomorrow, that would be fantastic”. In the first round of the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open, Mickelson had a birdie putt on the final hole at TPC Scottsdale to shoot the then-sixth 59 in PGA Tour history.
Although all those near-misses could be depressing if he thinks about them for long, the fact is they, like everything else about him, pale in comparison to Jack Nicklaus.
Mickelson teed off in overcast but benign conditions and covered the front nine in 33 shots, very almost acing the eighth hole.
He stared for the longest time at a leaderboard next to the 17th green, realizing that even par wasn’t going to cut it on a ideal day as this.
“You really need to make hay on the front nine with a lot of these holes playing downwind”, said McIlroy. “I try to go and win golf tournaments”.
When he bogeyed No. 18, after his tee shot sailed near the right grandstand, he walked off the course in a tie for 35th. He missed the par putt and made the turn at 1-under.
He was also relieved to return to the championship after an ankle injury prevented him from defending the Claret Jug he won in 2014 when last year’s Open was held at St Andrews.
The Nuneaton professional’s four-under 67 earned him a share of fourth on the first day at Royal Troon and he has a great deal of company from players from across the Atlantic.
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Johnston, victor of the Spanish Open in May, is nicknamed “Beef”, which prompted fans to wave burgers at him as he made his way from the 15th green.
